บท 54: Chapter 54: The fourth attack and conspiracy
Dumbledore didn't even have time to straighten his beard before he hurried towards the school infirmary.
A few minutes ago, he met Professor McGonagall's patron saint, a silver tabby cat.
"Minerva, Filius, how are you?"
From a distance, he saw a worried-looking McGonagall and an equally worried Flitwick standing at the door. Flitwick was only about half as tall as McGonagall.
Lockhart was joining in the fun, and he simply couldn't stay out of focus for even a second.
"Same as before, petrified." McGonagall saw Dumbledore coming and immediately seemed to have found a backbone.
The person who was attacked was Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenclaw student, a good student with both good character and academic performance plus a prefect of Ravenclaw.
"Percy Weasley found her in an empty classroom on the fourth floor this morning," McGonagall said.
Dumbledore immediately walked into Madam Pomfrey's office, and several other professors quickly followed.
Madam Pomfrey was bending down and taking something out of Penelope's hand.
——A small mirror.
Dumbledore immediately guessed how Penelope had escaped from the Basilisk.
But he didn't know about the attack.
After Cyrus noted that the portrait in the castle was Dumbledore's spy, he naturally refused to make the same mistake again. Instead of moving the basilisk through the corridors, he kept it inside the pipes and only let it out at the moment of attack.
"This is the fourth attack, Albus. Three students were injured." McGonagall was full of worry. "I'm afraid this matter can't be suppressed. What will the school board say?"
"No response yet." Dumbledore shook his head.
He originally thought that the school board might intend to close Hogwarts, but in fact, it did not.
Maybe it's because no real murder has happened yet, or maybe someone thinks it's not the right time yet?
"That would be great, but we have to find the culprit."
"We will find it, Minerva," Dumbledore whispered. There was almost no expression on his face, making it difficult to see what he was really thinking.
"Yes, we will find it! As long as I do it myself!" Lockhart found the right moment and jumped out immediately, showing his signature smile.
McGonagall immediately showed a disgusted expression.
To be honest, at other times, even if she didn't like Lockhart, she would never be so rude. But now that the situation is so serious, Lockhart thought it was child's play and it was annoying.
After all, he is still the same Gilderoy Lockhart.
It's the same Lockhart who, in order to attract attention, transformed the Death Eaters during the war years and launched his name into the air to create panic!
"If I remember correctly, you seemed to have been trumpeting that the successor had been driven away by you two weeks ago?" Snape appeared behind Lockhart at some point and sneered.
Then, regardless of Lockhart's reaction, he came directly to Dumbledore and whispered: "Ginny Weasley didn't go anywhere this morning. She stayed with Potter and the others. But ——there is something I must tell you——"
His voice dropped lower. In the end, he almost didn't speak but looked directly at Dumbledore.
"Ginny Weasley lost something? "
This information immediately made Dumbledore's mind clearer.
After he noticed that Ginny had a problem before, he asked Snape to pay more attention to her. Now it seems that Voldemort was probably aware of this kind of surveillance, so he took the initiative to leave Ginny Weasley and maybe took control of the other little wizards.
And that lost thing must be the Horcrux left by Voldemort!
'You've left too many holes, Tom. '
Dumbledore couldn't help but think.
But the question is, what is that missing thing?
Snape just shook his head. Legilimency is not an omniscient spell. The memories of Ginny and others have been modified by Cyrus. They can't remember anything that was lost in their minds. Naturally, Snape also knew that It was impossible to know the answer.
Now it seems that the other party is still very cautious.
Dumbledore held the mirror he took from Penelope and groaned.
Fifty years ago, Tom Riddle took Myrtle's life without hesitation - it was actually an accident - and now, from Miss Norris to Penelope, no one has truly died in the hands of the monster.
The water in the bathroom, the camera, the ghost, and the mirror...
Everything seemed to be just a coincidence, but he knew that there couldn't be such a coincidence in this world.
The only possibility is that Tom doesn't want anyone to die.
Naturally, Dumbledore would not think that Tom Riddle had repented and had grown compassion.
The only explanation is that he didn't want the school to close.
It was understandable to Dumbledore that he didn't want the school to close fifty years ago. But now, what is it that he desires?
What is it about this school that attracts him?
Dumbledore thought for a moment and came up with the answer.
——Harry Potter!
That's right!
If there was anything that interested him, Tom Riddle, it would probably be Harry Potter!
When he, the Horcrux, would have used some method to learn from Ginny Weasley that Harry Potter had destroyed the man- you-know-who.
The soul in the Horcrux, who knows nothing about this matter, must be wondering, what kind of magic power does a baby have that can defeat Lord Voldemort?
He'll find the kid.
The thought flashed through Dumbledore's mind. And as he thought about it, he became more and more certain that this would definitely happen.
From the first attack, the other party has been blaming Harry as the attacker. On Halloween night, Harry, who happened to be absent from the dinner party, encountered the first attack; the second person attacked was Colin Creevey, who took many embarrassing photos of Harry; the third person was Justin, and Harry just happened to be caught in the act by Filch.
All the evidence points to Harry.
Tom Riddle must be trying to get Harry into trouble, trying to lead him to take the initiative to investigate the Chamber of Secrets and the Successor.
Only in this way can they finally meet alone.
And this is exactly what Dumbledore wanted.
'He knows what I want. '
Dumbledore quickly understood that this was a game. Tom Riddle threatened him with the life of his student to eliminate himself as a threat and confront the little boy.
If I guessed correctly, I'm afraid it won't be long before I have to leave Hogwarts because of some things.
But Dumbledore wasn't actually too worried.
Tom thought he could win because his opponent was just a second-year wizard.
But Dumbledore thought that Tom was underestimating Harry.
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